(NOTES)

1. Short-handed means that the team must be below the numerical strength of its opponents on the ice at the time the goal is scored. The minor or bench minor penalty which terminates automatically is the one which causes the team scored against to be short-handed. Thus coincident minor penalties to both teams do NOT cause either side to be short-handed. This rule shall also apply when a goal is scored on a penalty shot, or when an awarded goal is given. When the minor penalties of two players of the same team terminate at the same time, the Captain of that team shall designate to the Referee which of such players will return to the ice first and the Referee will instruct the Penalty Timekeeper accordingly. When a player receives a major penalty and a minor penalty at the same time, the major penalty shall be served first by the penalized player, except under Rule 28(c) in which case the minor penalty will be recorded and served first.

2. This applies to the case where BOTH penalties are imposed on the SAME player. See also Note to Rule 33

Unless paragraph one of this Rule is applicable, when coincident minor penalties or coincident minor penalties of equal duration are imposed against players of both teams, the penalized players shall all take their places on the penalty benches and such penalized players shall not leave the penalty bench until the first stoppage of play following the expiry of their respective penalties. Immediate substitution shall be made for an equal number of minor penalties OR coincident minor penalties of equal duration to each team so penalized and the penalties of the players for which substitutions have been made shall not be taken into account for the purpose of the Delayed Penalty Rule Rule 33.

(NOTE)
In accordance with Rule 58(c) a goalkeeper shall not be assessed a game misconduct penalty when he is being assessed a major penalty for highsticking.

Where it is required to determine which of the penalized players shall be designated to serve the delayed penalty under Rule 33 - Delayed Penalities, the penalized team shall have the right to make such designation not in conflict with Rule 27 - Minor Penalties.

When a player receives a minor penalty and a misconduct penalty at the same time, the penalized team shall immediately put a substitute player on the penalty bench and he shall serve the minor penalty without change.

When a player receives a major penalty and a misconduct penalty at the same time, the penalized team shall place a substitute player on the penalty bench before the major penalty expires and no replacement for the penalized player shall be permitted to enter the game except from the penalty bench. Any violation of this provision shall be treated as an illegal substitution under Rule 18 calling for a bench minor penalty.

(NOTE)
For all game misconduct and gross misconduct penalties regardless of when imposed, a total of ten minutes shall be charged in the records against the offending player.

In playoff games, any player who incurs a total of two game misconduct penalties shall be suspended automatically for the next playoff game of his team. For each subsequent game misconduct penalty during the playoffs, the automatic suspension shall be increased by one game. For each suspension of a player during playoffs, his club shall be fined one thousand dollars ($1000).

In playoff games any player who incurs a total of two game misconduct penalties for stick related infractions penalized under Rule 28(b) shall be suspended automatically for the next Playoff game of his team. For each subsequent game misconduct penalty during the playoffs the automatic suspension shall be increased by one game.

Prior to the commencement of each Stanley Cup Finals, a player will have his current stick-related, boarding and checking from behind misconducts removed from his current play-off record. They will remain part of his historical record.

(NOTES)

1. Any game misconduct penalty for which a player has been assessed an automatic suspension or supplementary discipline in the form of game suspension(s) by the Commissioner shall NOT be taken into account when calculating the total number of offenses under this subsection.

2. When a player has played in 41 consecutive regular league games without being assessed a stick-related major and a game misconduct according to Rule 28(b) - Major Penalties or Rule 29(f) - Misconduct Penalties, he will have the previous game misconduct penalties removed from his current record. They will remain part of his historical record.

3. When a player has played in 41 consecutive regular league games without being assessed a boarding and/or a checking from behind major and a game misconduct according to Rule 45(c)(d)(e) - Board Checking and Checking From Behind he will have the previous game misconduct penalties removed from his current record. They will remain part of his historical record.

4. A player's total games played will cover a two year time period from the date of the first game misconduct penalty for each category of foul.

5. The automatic suspensions incurred under this subsection in respect to League games shall have no effect with respect to violations during Playoff games.

The Referee shall ask to announce over the public address system the name of the player designated by him or selected by the team entitled to take the shot (as appropriate) and shall then place the puck on the center face-off spot and the player taking the shot will, on the instruction of the Referee, play the puck from there and shall attempt to score on the goalkeeper. The player taking the shot may carry the puck in any part of the neutral zone or his own defending zone but once the puck has crossed the attacking blue line it must be kept in motion towards the opponent's goal line and once it is shot, the play shall be considered complete. No goal can be scored on a rebound of any kind (an exception being the puck off the goal post, then the goalkeeper and then directly into the goal), and any time the puck crosses the goal line, the shot shall be considered complete.

Only a player designated as a goalkeeper or alternate goalkeeper may defend against the penalty shot.

The goalkeeper may attempt to stop the shot in any manner except by throwing his stick or any object, in which case a goal shall be awarded.

(NOTE)
See Rule 81

In cases where a penalty shot has been awarded under Rule 18(b), deliberate illegal substitution with insufficient playing time remaining; under Rule 50(d), deliberately displacing goal post; under Rule 53(c), falling on the puck in the crease; under Rule 57(d), picking up the puck from the crease area, the penalty shot shall be taken by a player selected by the Captain of the non-offending team from the players on the ice at the time when the foul was committed. Such selection shall be reported to the Referee and cannot be changed.

If by reason of injury, the player designated by the Referee to take the penalty shot is unable to do so within a reasonable time, the shot may be taken by a player selected by the Captain of the non-offending team from the players on the ice when the foul was committed. Such selection shall be reported to the Referee and cannot be changed.

If at the time a penalty shot is awarded, the goalkeeper of the penalized team has been removed from the ice to substitute another player, the goalkeeper shall be permitted to return to the ice before the penalty shot is taken.

If the offense for which the penalty shot was awarded was such as would normally incur a minor penalty, then regardless of whether the penalty shot results in a goal or not, no further minor penalty shall be served.

The time required for the taking of a penalty shot shall not be included in the regular playing time or overtime.

(NOTE)
A penalized player may not serve a goalkeeper's penalty.

(NOTE)
See Rules 44, 49 and 64.

(NOTE)
All penalties imposed on a goalkeeper, regardless of who serves the penalty or any substitution, shall be charged in the records against the goalkeeper.

Provided however that the Penalty Timekeeper shall permit the return to the ice in the order of expiry of their penalties, of a player or players when, by reason of the expiration of their penalties, the penalized team is entitled to have more than four players on the ice.

When the penalties of two players of the same team will expire at the same time, the Captain of that team will designate to the Referee which of such players will return to the ice first and the Referee will instruct the Penalty Timekeeper accordingly. When a major and a minor penalty are imposed at the same time on players of the same team, the Penalty Timekeeper shall record the minor as being the first of such penalties.

(NOTE)
This applies to the case where the two penalties are imposed on DIFFERENT players of the same team. See also Note to Rule 27.

The resulting face-off shall be made at the place where the play was stopped unless the stoppage occurs in the attacking zone of the player penalized in which case the face-off shall be made at the nearest face-off spot in the neutral zone.

(NOTE)
There shall be no signal given by the Referee for a misconduct or game misconduct penalty under this section.

The resulting face-off shall be made at the place where the play was stopped, unless during the period of a delayed whistle due to a foul by a player of the side NOT in possession, the side in possession ices the puck, shoots the puck so that it goes out of bounds or is unplayable, then the face-off following the stoppage shall take place in the neutral zone near the defending blue line of the team shooting the puck.

If the penalty to be imposed is a minor penalty and a goal is scored on the play by the non-offending side, the minor penalty shall not be imposed but major and match penalties shall be imposed in the normal manner regardless of whether or not a goal is scored.

When the penalty to be imposed is applicable under Rule 58(c)(1) - High Sticks or Rule 79(c) - Spearing and Butt-Ending, and a goal is scored, two minutes of the appropriate penalty will be assessed to the offending player. (This will be announced as a double minor for the appropriate foul and the player will serve two minutes only.)

(NOTES)

1. "Completion of the play by the team in possession" in this rule means that the puck must have come into the possession and control of an opposing player or has been "frozen". This does not mean a rebound off the goalkeeper, the goal or the boards, or any accidental contact with the body or equipment of an opposing player.

2. If after the Referee has signalled a penalty but before the whistle has been blown, the puck shall enter the goal of the non-offending team as the direct result of a player of that team, the goal shall be allowed and the penalty signalled shall be imposed in the normal manner.

3. If when a team is "short-handed" by reason of one or more minor or bench minor penalties, the Referee signals a further minor penalty or penalties against the "short-handed" team and a goal is scored by the non-offending side before the whistle is blown, then the goal shall be allowed. The penalty or penalties signalled shall be assessed and the first of the minor penalties already being served shall automatically terminate under Rule 27(c) - Minor Penalties.